Swinging jaw adjustable wrench



Jan. 25, 1949. V JOHNSON 2,459,882

SWING ING-JAW ADJUSTABLE-WiEiNCl-I Filed Feb. 17, 1947 1NVENTOR.

R0 John son A TTORZgEY.

Patented Jan. 25,1949

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIEE 2,459,882 it swisems' JAwADJUs 'rAfiiiii' WRENCH Rollie Johnson, Ed'gerton; M6!

Application February 17, 1947, Serial No. 729,109

1 Claim. 1

This invention relates to tools and has for its primary aim the provision of an adjustable wrench having a swingable and a slidable jaw mounted in opposed relation on an elongated body whereby an article may be gripped between said jaws when the same are shifted relatively toforming a fulcrum for the jaw spaced from its supporting body. A still further object of this invention is the provision of a swinging jaw adjustable wrench having a slidable jaw movable in a rectlinear path of travel substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the body and toward and from the said swingable jaw.

Many minor objects will be made clear during the course of the following specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawing wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevational-view of a swinging jaw adjustable wrench made in accordance with my present invention.

Fig. 2 is an inverted plan view thereof.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary top plan view thereof.

Fig. 4 is a cross sectional view taken on line IV-IV of Fig. 1 and looking in the direction of the arrows and Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken on irregular line V-V of Fig.1.

In the drawing a body designated by the numeral ill has a handle 12 on one end thereof and a pair of spaced apart sleeves l4 and i6 extending laterally from one edge Iii thereof for slidahly receiving a jaw 28. These sleeves l4 and i5 are provided with aligned openings 24 and 22 respectively through which jaw 20 is loosely and slidably disposed. This jaw 20 has external threads 26 thereon for receiving an internally threaded nut 28 disposed in the space between sleeves it and :6. It is clear therefore that turning of this nut 28 will cause the jaw 29 to move toward and from the ends respectively of body iii in a rectilinear path of travel substantially parallel with the longitudinal axis of the body It.

One end of the jaw 23 is provided witha serrated head 3&3 cooperable with a head 32 of a swingable jaw broadly designated by the numeral 34. This swingabie jaw 34 is substantially L- shaped, one leg thereof formed by the head 32 which is also serrated in the usual manner as illustrated in Fig. 1.

Body I0 is provided with a pair of spaced-apart ears 36 and 38 which ears extend laterally from edge 49 of body Ill and near one end 42 thereof remote from handle 52. These ears 36 and 38 are triangularly shaped and are provided with bores 44 near the apex thereof for receiving a pin 46. One leg 48 of the swinging jaw 34 is substantially rectangularly shaped and this leg 48 is interposed between the fingers 36 and 38 of body l0. An extension 50 projects laterally from this leg 48 and is disposed on the normally outermost edge thereof and intermediate its ends. This extension 511 is circularly bored as at 52 to pivotally receive the pin 46.

A leaf spring 54 is secured to the body H! on edge 40 thereof by a screw or the like 56 and this spring 54 has its free end disposedbetween the leg 48 of the jaw 34 and the edge 40 of body Hi to yieldably hold leg 48 in spaced relation to body Ill. The head 32 of jaw 34 overlaps the end 42 of body If! and extends a distance beyond the edge l8 of body It in the path of travel of the sliding jaw 20.

It is clear that as any object is disposed between the serrated edges of heads 32 and 3!] of jaws 34 and 20 respectively and as jaw 20 is caused to be moved toward the end 42 of body H] such object will be firmly grasped therebetween. The spring 54 will maintain head 32 of jaw 34 in contact with the article being handled through the pivotal section of leg 48 on the ears 35 and 38.

The fulcrum point for this jaw 34 being remote from the edge 40 of body I El and this jaw 34 being disposed in opposed relation to the sliding jaw 28, it is clear that a strong and extremely efiicient adjustable wrench has been provided. This jaw 34 is disposed where the same will not likely cause interference when the same is placed in use and the free action thereof presents a highly efficient wrench and one that will react positively whenever placed in use and not likely to get out of order or be easily damaged.

Many advantages will arise through employment of the swinging jaw adjustable wrench just described and those advantages are contemplated hereby. It is therefore desired to be limited only by the spirit of this invention and scope of the appended claim.

the ends thereof and having longitudinally aligned apertures therein, a slidable jaw movable toward and away from the forward end of the body and having a threaded shank positioned within said sleeve apertures, a nut on said shank and positioned in the space between said sleeves, a swingable jaw on the opposite edge of the body having a head overlapping said forward end'of the body in close proximity thereto, said head of the swingable jaw extending into the'path of travel ofsaid threaded shank, a pair of transversely spaced and longitudinally extending triangular 'ears projecting from the opposite edge of the handle and at the forward end of thebody, said s'wingable jaw having a'rigid shank positioned between said ears and pivotally joined to REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date Re. 8,961 Rhyn Nov. 11, 1879 197,658 Ochsner Nov. 27, 1877 Armstrong et al Nov. 6, 1888 

